What do you use to backup Windows 7

[crossy]

I guess I'm speaking about "system recovery" type options here - monthly backups. I've already looked around the net, but pick six websites and you'll get six wildly different opinions, (e.g. Paragon's software is editors choice/Paragon's software is unusable/Paragon's software is okay, but there are better options out there) - not exactly helpful!

Basically I upgraded my system recently and now Windows Backup, which I've used up to this point, is failing (at around 46% complete, which turned out to be a space issue on the boot drive). So I'm looking around for a replacement for Windows Backup - especially because I'm now seeing that software doing a LOT of writes to my SSD C: drive which I think bodes ill for that drive's long term health.

I've already got Paragon's Hard Disk Suite 14 (got a free upgrade from 12) and while that seems to work okay, there's issues with it. Primarily that HDS14 insists that there's directory issues on my C: drive that chkdsk etc seem unable to spot. I've managed to do restores from HDS, but it appears that HDS14 won't read HDS12's backups and vice-versa - bad!

Acronis True Image seems to be equally loved and loathed and the fact that the "family" pricing is good, plus people like WD use it, incline me towards it.

I got Memeo's Instant Backup software with a NAS box and that seems pretty reasonable for those incremental/user-file type requirements.
Oh, and no interest in cloud backup - DAS or NAS only. I've got four systems to backup here - equally split between desktop/laptop and Windows7/8.

[peterb]

I don't back up my system, I keep all data on a server on the network and back that data up to tape (LTO) using the standard linux 'dump' command.

[shaithis]

I would reinstall with a larger system reserved partition (windows backup is probably failing due to VSS failing due to lack of SR space)

If you really want to move away from WB, I can recommend the Acronis software but I do prefer Windows Backup myself, just a shame they made it unschedulable in Windows 8 and above

[directhex]

Crashplan.

[scaryjim]

Crashplan.

I'm sure it's fine, but any website that say s "free - no credit card required" always worries me....

It looks like that only does data/archiving though, rather than system images?

How about Windows Home Server? If you've got some spare hardware to run it on I'm pretty sure it'll do everything you want...?

Or if you want a free solution Clonezilla will do partition cloning and restore, but you would need to boot from a live image or set up a server (and tbh the server version is probably way more hassle than you want for simple home backups).

[peterb]

I don't back up my system, I keep all data on a server on the network and back that data up to tape (LTO) using the standard linux 'dump' command.

To elaborate - the data is the most valuable aspect of my system, which is why it is stored on a fairly resilient server. Re-instaling an OS isn't that difficult - but I suppose if I did want to backup the OS disk, I'd just clone the disk in its entirety to another similar drive and put in in a cupboard. If the main system disk failed, I'd have a clone ready to plug and play - with the data still stored on (and backed up from) the server.

The linux machines aren't worth backing up - apart from the configuration files in /etc - again, in the event of failure I can rebuild the OS and then copy over the config files. The server is linux based, data and OS disks are separate. (The data disks are RAID 1)

The Apple OSX device is a little harder to back up - although again data is stored on the server (so any OS can access all data - with the right application) however I do use TimeMachine to back up occasionally to a hard drive, usually to a TimeMachine logical volume on server on the main server. That poses a bit of a snag, as backing up HFS+ filesystems to tape isn't quite as straightforward as using 'dump' but again, there is very little actual data there so it doesn't really matter. (The Time Machine server was more of an experiment).

So data I go to some lengths to preserve - operating systems I'm not that bothered about, apart from configuration files.

[directhex]

I'm sure it's fine, but any website that say s "free - no credit card required" always worries me....

It's free, for low-encryption backups to local disk or NAS only. You pay for the higher grade encryption and cloud storage space.

It looks like that only does data/archiving though, rather than system images?

Correct. My experience is that the data is the important part. The OS itself is entirely combustible.

[scaryjim]

... My experience is that the data is the important part. The OS itself is entirely combustible.

I'm entirely inclined to agree, but crossy's a reasonably bright individual so I assume he's got some particular reason for wanting to make monthly restorable images (lack of time and inclination to reinstall both an OS and a large number of apps, perhaps?) rather than just keeping the data backed up and starting from scratch as far as the OS is concerned.

Of course, if you're looking at Windows clients only, WHS will do both of those jobs for you...

[crossy]

MANY THANKS ALL WHO REPLIED!

Given me some things to think about - and scaryjim, you're 100% correct - the main reason to do system images is so I cut down on the repeated "is it back yet?" if the busted system is not mine.

shaithis: yes, the problem with Windows Backup is the System Reserved area. There's a couple of posts around the net about ways to roll that into C: which I'm thinking would be the best option. Certainly my two attempts to resize it failed - mainly due to that issue with Paragon's software deciding that the C: had directory/file issues.

peterb: agree with you on the Linux systems (which I didn't include in the original post because they're fine). I really quite like Mondo Rescue - the software works well, and if I do run into issues, the support team is pretty helpful - especially the team leader. And, at the risk of putting in an advert, if you need commercial support then HP will gladly sell you a package.

And with that I'll go look at the various packages etc that have been recommended. No point asking for advice if you're going to ignore it!

[Saracen]

I guess I'm a half-way house, because like others, I put the most effort into data, because some of it, I can't afford to lose. But I also don't want the hassle of reinstalling the OS if I can help it. So I break storage down into logical types, something like

C .... OS
D .... Apps
E .... Games
F .... Data
G .... Media
H .... Reference

F is the critical one.

G and H aren't backed up, since I by definition, anything in there already is a copy, or something I have in an archive.

E (Games) I don't bother other with. If I lose it, oh well.

That leaves C and D, and for those, for what it's worth Crossy, I use TrueImage.

So, my "disaster recovery" process is :-

- build machine
- restore C and D with TrueImage
- copy Reference abd Media from archive.
- recover data (D) from backup.

I'm being a bit vague about 'backup'. Basically, it varies, but data on most of my live machines is mirrored to a RAID 5 server, and then backed up from that to external storage. So, in disaster recovery, it probably means copying back from server, but I can recover the server if need be.

Anyway, the short version is that recovery systems, I've used various over the years, but for a while now, TrueImage and it's not let me down .... yet . I know I'm going to regret saying that. A guiding principle of my life is "don't spit in Fate's eye, you'll regret it". I'm now off looking for something large and wooden to touch.